Black Sapphire | Xaden Riorson | S/H

V

・・・　・・・　・・・

     Garrick chastises him for his pep talk, which Xaden claims it isn't, though what follows sure sounds like one.  Telling them the reality of the situation, which is that most of them will die on Basgiath's grounds, some before they ever get to bond a dragon.  Telling them that the words of war are not exaggerations, that at their best, they're the simple truth, and at worst, they're even downplaying what's happening.
     A silence envelopes them, one louder than the river, as he relays his message: they won't make it out of there without fighting for it every second.
     "Now, someone give me a problem I can actually solve," he orders.
     A first-year asks about Battle Brief next.  A couple of the third-years help explain it to her.  Imogen even comments on its trickiness.  That's what catches my attention and I have to force myself to not lean in more as Xaden speaks.  He tells them to, "keep what they know," and that gives me pause.  Sure, Tyrrendor is near the borders, but there's no outposts and that's because there's nothing going on over there.  The whole province is on a tall plateau that can't be scaled from anywhere but the north or east, which are still Navarrian land.

     "When do we get to kill Violet Sorrengail?"  I sigh, lying to myself that my blood didn't just go cold.  That'd been the main reason I'd tried to get close enough to hear what they said, and I'd been right.
     "Yeah, Xaden," Imogen says.  Her voice has an eerie, false sweetness to it as she leans forward.  Xaden's head reels over to face her, a singular silver scar interjecting his eyebrow gleaming in the moonlight.  "When do we get to finally have our revenge?"
     "I told you already, the youngest Sorrengail is mine, and I'll handle her when the time is right."  
     "Didn't you already learn that lesson, Imogen?" the cousin asks.  "What I hear, Aetos has you scrubbing dinner dishes for the next month for using your powers on the mat."  The name sends another piercing ice-cold into my bloodstream, and this one almost makes me want to fall out of this tree.  I close my eyes as shivers pass my system at the memories.  Imogen says something more about her mother and sister as I use my right hand to rub my leg bicep.

     "Her mom is responsible for the capture of nearly all our parents," Garrick says back as his arms heave to cross over his chest.  "Not her daughter.  Punishing children for the sins of their parents is the Navarrian way, not the Tyrrish."  I smile at the sentiment, a small bubble of pride worming into my throat.
     "So we get conscripted because of what our parents did years ago and shoved into this death sentence of a college-"
     "In case you didn't notice, she's in the same death sentence of a college," Garrick cuts in on Imogen's sentence.  "Seems like she's already suffering the same fate."
     "Don't forget her brother is Brennan Sorrengail.  She has as much reason to hate us as we do her," Xaden adds.  He gives a last pointed look at Imogen before looking at someone else in the circle.  "And I'm not going to tell you again.  She's mine to handle.  Anyone feel like arguing?"  The river rushes over their silence as all of the first years look at the ground.  "Good.  Then go back to bed and go in threes."